Rivka's Presents by Laurie Wallmark
It is 1918 and Rivka cannot wait to go to school. But she is told the night before, she must stay home as her father has the flu and her mother needs help taking care of her younger sister, while she works. The Lower East Side of New York City comes alive with how one plucky young girl finds a way to get the education she needs. She trades chores for reading and math lessons. And when her father is finally well, all her hard […]
Heavy Metal Badger by Duncan Beedie
I saw the cover of Heavy Metal Badger, and was OMG that is SO for a friend of mine. And then realized their kids probably were too old for a picture book. But then I thought, “Who cares? That is SO their kids!” So, now you know my friend has Heavy Metal Badger kids, who like to rock out and be themselves. Just like Duncan Beedie’s main Badger, who is a rocker, loves to rock out, and with trial and error finds their band, their tribe of […]
When Rabbit Was a Lion by Eugenie Fernande
When Rabbit Was a Lion is a story about a child, Rabbit, who is not a fan of parties, noise and too much excitement. But he likes his friends, and wants to celebrate with them. Creating a costume party, Rabbit is all ready to party after rushing about making it, but after a while things are too much, and he needs to hide. When he is found, his friends decide that they will now help him by toning down the wild rumpus. Eugenie Fernandes’s story […]
Indigo Dreaming by Dinah Johnson
Not Quite Narwhal and Friends: Weather Together by Jessie Sima
cbr15bingo Africa: Indigo dreaming has the African connection I enjoy doing picture book reviews and doing a round-up review of a few titles at once. The thing with picture books is that they are short. So, they are easy to read. And yet, they can be packed from cover to cover with amazing goodies. Just sometimes that does not lend itself to a regulation review word count. The below titles are perfect for most people, yet different enough and varied in age ranges that […]
The Bones of Me by Kel Duckhouse
cbr15bingo Violence I misplaced my finished copy of The Bones of Me after having a slow start with it, but once I was able to sit down and read without too many interruptions, it started to move. The mixture of prose and prose poetry can be a bit off putting, but it fits the idea of things. Perhaps things can be a bit too cliché in places, but it would have been a book I loved ages (at least) 12 and up. There is some […]
How to Welcome an Alien by Rebecca Klempner
This is a picture book that is about welcoming people in the tradition of Jewish hospitality. How to Welcome an Alien is on the surface, just about being kind to your neighbors and visitors; but the deeper meaning is accepting people who are different from you, and helping them in times of need. This can mean not just your new neighbors, but refugees, aliens or even something else. Rebecca Klempner set their book in a way all can relate. It is humorous, but serious as well. […]
